Lonely Hearts
by Heavenly Pearl
Summary: After Yuuri wins his first senior national title, sparks fly between his former ballet instructor and his current coach, leading to Minako and Celestino spending a wonderful night together, making each other feel a little less lonely on Christmas Eve.


Lonely Hearts

"Yuuuuuuri!"

The moment Minako saw Yuuri walk through the door, she threw herself at him, hugging him so hard that she almost knocked him over. "Congratulations on your first national senior title! You were amazing."

"Thanks, but it was really just a fluke," Yuuri said, as modest and self-depreciating as ever. "If Sawai-san hadn't had to withdraw because of the flu…"

Minako put her hands on her hips, not about to hear it. She had heard enough of him constantly putting himself down, never believing he was good enough even when his results spoke for themselves. "Yuuri Katsuki, you deserve to be national champion, and somewhere in that insecure little brain of yours, you know it," she lectured, flicking him on the forehead with her finger. "You've been posting higher scores than Sawai-san all season. Even if he had competed, you still probably would have won."

"Yes, but –"

"No 'buts'! You are the national champion of Japan, on your way to your first senior World Championships, so be happy!"

"O-Okay. I am, really!" Yuuri said, holding his hands up in surrender. "Especially about Worlds. After all, I'm going to compete against Viktor Nikiforov for the first time…"

A faint blush colored his cheeks as he said his longtime idol's name. Yuuri always insisted that all he felt for Viktor was admiration as the undisputed top skater in the world, but Minako suspected his feelings for Viktor had developed into more of a celebrity crush – not that she didn't understand the feeling. Viktor was extremely handsome, after all, although it was a certain sexy Swiss skater who tended to star in Minako's naughtier daydreams.

"That reminds me," she said, lowering her voice to a whisper, "you do remember your promise?"

"Promise?" He blinked behind his glasses.

"You know. You said you would introduce me to Chris Giacometti when you made your Worlds debut."

"I-I never promised that! I don't even know Giacometti-san. Not really. I mean, we competed together at the NHK Trophy, but we didn't really say much –"

Minako sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "You are the world's worst wingman."

"I'm going to Nice to compete, not to find you a boyfriend," Yuuri said, the sassier side of his personality coming out.

"Who said anything about a boyfriend?" She waved a hand back-and-forth in front of her face. A boyfriend was the last thing she wanted. "I just want to get la—"

"_Ciao, ciao!_ Yuuri, there you are!" an Italian-accented voice boomed in English, Yuuri's coach coming over to join them. "Ah, this must be your big sister, Mari, yes?"

"You think I look young enough to be his sister? I think I like you already," she said, winking at him. The compliment pleased her, especially since she knew she was actually several years his senior.

Beside her, Yuuri's cheeks turned pink in embarrassment, although he pulled himself together to make the introductions. "Coach, I'd like you to meet Minako Okukawa. She's the ballet instructor I told you about, the one who suggested I try figure skating in the first place. Minako, this is my coach, Celestino Cialdini."

Celestino started to offer his hand at first, but remembering where he was, switched to a polite bow. "A pleasure to meet you, Ms. Okukawa."

"Minako is fine." She offered her own hand in the Western fashion and tried her best to keep her cool in front of one of her all-time favorite skaters. "It's wonderful to meet you, too, Mr. Cialdini. I was a big admirer of yours during your competitive days as an ice dancer."

"Please, feel free to call me Celestino – or even Ciao Ciao, if you'd like. It's always nice to meet a fan."

She arched an eyebrow. "Ciao Ciao? There must be a story behind that."

He laughed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Not a very interesting one, I'm afraid. Yuuri and his friend Phichit were the ones who started calling me that, for fairly obvious reasons, and now I'm afraid the nickname has stuck. All my students call me that now."

"Sorry…" Yuuri mumbled, his blush deepening even more as he stared down at his sneakers.

"Don't worry about it." Celestino lightly slapped him on the back. "Anyway, I think we should celebrate your victory. How about dinner, my treat? Minako, I hope you will join us as well."

"You wouldn't mind?" she asked, brushing a strand of her hair behind her ear.

"Not at all! The more, the merrier."

"I need to take my things back to the hotel first," Yuuri said, indicating his skate bag. "I'd like to take a shower, too."

"Of course." Celestino glanced down at his watch. "How about we meet back down in the lobby in about an hour, then?"

"Sounds good to me," Minako said, never one to turn down a free meal.

* * *

The restaurant Celestino chose was an upscale joint only a block away from the hotel where he and Yuuri were staying. As the maître d' led them to their table, Minako was thankful that she had decided to pack something suitable to wear. She had changed out of the jeans and cable-knit sweater she had worn to the competition into a black dress and tights, refreshing her make-up and letting her hair down from her ponytail.

"Order anything you like," Celestino said generously. "Don't even worry about your diet tonight, Yuuri. It's a celebration!"

Minako opened the menu the maître d' handed her and scanned the selection. The restaurant specialized in French cuisine, her mouth watering as she read over the descriptions, which were printed in both French and Japanese for easy comprehension. Everything sounded so delicious; it was difficult to decide what to order.

"It looks like you'll have to wait and ask Hiroko to make some katsudon the next time you visit, Yuuri," she said, aware that Yuuri liked to reward himself with his favorite food whenever he won a gold medal. "Are you sure you can't stay in Japan for a few more days? At least until New Year's? I know you're on winter break from school, and everybody would love to see you again."

"I wish I could, but I really need to start training for Four Continents as soon as possible," Yuuri said. "It's only a few weeks away. Besides, Phichit and I already made plans for New Year's."

That was a shame, but she understood. Four Continents would be his first chance to compete in an ISU championship as a senior. If he did well there, he would be in good stead going into the World Championships.

After giving her order to the waiter – she decided on the coq au vin – Minako looked around the room. Unlike their little group, most of the other patrons appeared to be well-dressed couples on Christmas dates. The restaurant had tastefully decorated for the holiday, a tall tree standing in the far corner trimmed with white lights and silver ornaments and elegant Christmas centerpieces placed on every table. A French chanteuse sang "Petit Papa Noel" over the speakers, adding to the atmosphere.

"Speaking of training," she said, pushing her mind off the fact that she didn't have a date for Christmas for the first time in years, "have you been keeping up with your ballet exercises?"

"Yes, Yuuri takes ballet three times a week," Celestino said, "although I encourage my students to experiment with other dance styles as well. I believe Yuuri has just started taking pole dancing lessons?"

Yuuri turned bright red. "C-Coach!"

Celestino laughed, thumping Yuri's back. "Nothing to be embarrassed about, my boy. Pole dancing is a great way to work out your core muscles."

"I've always wanted to give it a try myself," Minako admitted. "Maybe you can teach me a few moves, Yuuri."

He waved his hands in front of his chest. "N-No, I'm just a beginner, and I'm not very good…"

"Not very good?" Celestino arched an eyebrow. "That's not what Emma says. She told me you're the best in her class. In fact, she thinks you're ready to move up to intermediate lessons."

"The beginner class is fine," Yuuri mumbled, reaching for a roll from the basket the waiter had brought for them. "It's not like I'm ever going to perform for anybody."

"Hmm…not even for Viktor?" Minako couldn't resist teasing, causing Yuuri to choke on the bite he had just taken. Her eyes widened in alarm. "Yuuri, are you okay?"

She stood up, but he held up a hand, reaching for a glass of water to wash it down. "I'm fine," he insisted once his coughing fit subsided. "Um, excuse me for a moment…"

Yuri left the table, heading to the men's room, as Minako sat back down. "Oh, dear, I think I went too far that time," she said. "Yuuri's fun to tease, but he can be quite sensitive and insecure at times."

"So I've noticed," Celestino said with a sigh. "He has the potential to be a World medalist, if only he would believe in himself more."

"You really think he's that good?" She had known for a long time that Yuuri was the best male skater in Japan, but one of the best in the entire world? When he didn't even have a consistent quad yet?

"I do." Celestino smiled, taking a drink of his wine. "I have high hopes for Yuuri at Worlds. A medal at this point is probably wishful thinking, but he has a solid shot at a top ten finish if he keeps his nerves in check and skates like he did today. Even top twelve will be an accomplishment, guaranteeing him two spots in next year's Grand Prix. I know he was disappointed that he only got the host spot at NHK Trophy this year."

"He was, especially after winning that surprise bronze. If only he had another event…" Yuuri probably wouldn't have made the Final anyway – not with Viktor, Chris, Cao Bin, and Georgi Popovich dominating the circuit – but it would have been nice for him to at least have had the chance. "Well, I hope you're right. That would certainly be amazing!"

"What would be amazing?" Yuuri asked upon returning to their table.

"Celestino was just telling me that he thinks you have a really good chance of placing top ten at Worlds."

"Oh." He shrugged. "That would be nice, but I just hope I make the cut for the free skate."

His coach frowned. "Yuuri, as one of my students, you will aim for more than simply qualifying for the free," he lectured. "I expect you to earn those guaranteed two spots in next year's Grand Prix."

Yuuri looked down at the silk tablecloth. "Yes, sir. I will do my best."

Minako realized it was time to change the subject. Celestino meant well, but Yuuri didn't need to be pressured about Worlds, especially not right after his first big win in the senior ranks. They were supposed to be celebrating, after all.

"So, Yuuri, how are you enjoying Detroit so far? Are you getting along with your roommate?"

That did the trick. "Yeah, Phichit's great. The other day, he brought home these hamsters…"

* * *

After dinner, Yuuri excused himself, wanting to go back to his hotel room and call his parents to tell them about the competition, but Minako wasn't ready to call it a night just yet, still amped up from the excitement of the day's events. To her pleasant surprise, Celestino decided to join her, accompanying her as she strolled the festively decorated Tokyo streets with no particular destination in mind. She enjoyed living the quiet life in Hasetsu, but she had to admit that part of her missed the atmosphere of the big city.

"I'm surprised Yuuri's family didn't come to cheer him on," Celestino said as they walked side-by-side down the sidewalk. "I know getting away for international competitions can be difficult, but is Hasetsu that far away from Tokyo? They didn't come to NHK, either."

"Believe me, they would have loved to have come watch Yuuri compete if they could. They're very proud of him, but when you run a family-owned onsen, there are no such things as 'off days'," Minako explained. "Sometimes, when there aren't a lot of reservations and they can spare her, Mari comes with me, but tonight's Christmas Eve, the busiest night of the year. There's no way they could have made it. Yuuri's used to it. He understands."

"Ah, I see." He let out a sigh, his breath visible in the cold air, and stuffed his hands into his tan overcoat. "I almost forgot it was Christmas Eve."

"It's nice of you to accompany Yuuri to All-Japan, even though it's the holidays." In Japan, Christmas was seen as a holiday primarily for lovers, but she knew from her time abroad that it was a much bigger deal in Western countries, a special time to spend with family and friends.

Celestino shrugged. "It was an important competition for Yuuri. Besides, I didn't have any plans. Not this year…"

Minako thought she saw a flicker of sadness in his eyes, but it disappeared too quickly for her to be certain.

"So, tell me – what's Christmas like in Japan?" he asked.

"In some ways, not too different from Christmas in America. Children get presents from Santa Claus, and obviously, we love the decorations." She indicated the Christmas-themed storefronts, decked out with bright lights, colorful garlands, and sparkly baubles.

Celestino laughed. "I can see that."

"We don't eat turkey or ham for Christmas dinner, though. It's tradition to eat Kentucky Fried Chicken."

"Really?" He arched an eyebrow. "If I had known, I would have taken you two to KFC instead and saved a bunch of money."

"Oh, no, we wouldn't have let you off that easy," Minako said with a playful wag of her finger. "Yuuri deserved a nice meal to celebrate winning All-Japan. Anyway, you don't keep a figure like this by eating greasy fried chicken…although I wouldn't say no to a slice of Christmas cake." A couple of stores down, she noticed a table set out in front of a bakery, manned by a cute teenage girl in a Santa dress. Minako grabbed Celestino by the elbow and pulled him over. "Two single slices, please," she said to the girl, switching to Japanese. "And could you provide us with a couple of plastic forks, too?"

"Yes, miss. Coming right up!"

As the teenager prepared a takeaway box for them, Celestino started to take out his wallet, but Minako shook her head, smiling. "My treat this time – as a thank you for all you've done for Yuuri these last few months."

"If you insist." He slid his wallet back in his pocket. "Thank you."

"Here you go," the girl said a couple of minutes later, handing the box to Celestino while Minako pulled some cash out to pay. "Merry Christmas!"

As they resumed their walk, Minako looked around, searching for a place where they could sit down. Back when she lived in Tokyo, she recalled there used to be a park nearby where a temporary outdoor ice rink was set up during the winter. That was many years ago, but to her delight, the tradition had continued, the rink set up in the same spot she remembered. The two of them sat down on a deserted bench about fifteen feet away from the happy skaters, Minako handing Celestino one of the cakes, along with a fork.

He took a bite. "Mmm! This wasn't what I was expecting when you mentioned 'Christmas cake', but it's very good," he said.

"Oh? What did you expect?"

"Fruitcake? Or maybe _panettone_?"

"_Panettone_!" Minako clapped her hands together. "Ah, that takes me back to my days in Rome."

"You lived in Roma?" he asked, surprised.

"For about a year in the early 90s. I danced with a company there."

"Then we may have crossed paths at one point without even knowing it."

"Perhaps," she said, though she couldn't imagine forgetting a face like his. It wasn't the most handsome, but it had character – different from the pretty boy looks that usually caught her eye. Taking a bite of her own slice of cake, Minako moaned in bliss at the sweet taste on her tongue. She rarely allowed herself the luxury of dessert, preferring to indulge in alcohol instead. "Oh my god, so good!"

Celestino chuckled, pointing to a spot near his lips. "You have a little –"

"Oh, where?" She rubbed at her right cheek, but she didn't feel anything.

"No, the other side. Here, allow me."

He brought a thumb to her other cheek and flicked off a dollop of whipped cream, licking it off his finger. Minako smiled, not minding the touch at all.

As they ate the rest of their cake slices, they continued talking about Rome and some of the other places they had lived over the years. Celestino was as well-traveled as she was, having moved all over Europe in search of better ice conditions and coaches before settling in America after he retired from competitive skating. She enjoyed listening to his stories, and he was just as attentive to hers, the two of them chatting as if they were old friends instead of merely recent acquaintances.

When they finally finished, he offered to throw away the trash.

"Shall we skate?" Celestino asked upon his return, holding out his hand to her.

Unable to help herself, Minako giggled, and he groaned, smacking himself on the forehead. "God, I spend way too much time listening to Phichit talk about that movie he's obsessed with."

"_The King and The Skater?_ It's a great movie – one of my favorites as well." She accepted his hand, allowing him to pull her up from the bench to stand. "Does that make me the King?"

"Perhaps Queen would be more appropriate in this case."

She smiled. "Queen Minako… Yes, I like that."

"Then shall we, Your Majesty?" he asked, gallantly bowing before her.

"Yes, of course. Lead the way."

They rented skates to wear from the booth near the artificial rink and changed into them before joining the crowd on the ice, the majority of the skaters appearing to be young couples enjoying their Christmas Eve dates. The two of them were the oldest skaters by at least a decade or two. "Do you skate at all?" Celestino asked as they stepped onto the frozen surface.

"I took lessons when I was younger." Minako rolled her eyes, thinking back to those long ago years. "I remember I was absolutely obsessed with becoming the next Janet Lynn. If you think Yuuri's infatuation with Viktor Nikiforov is bad… But then ballet stole my heart, and I gave up on that dream, which was probably for the best. I'm a much better ballerina than I ever was a figure skater. I still skate recreationally sometimes, but it's been a while. Not since Yuuri left, I think."

"Well, feel free to hold onto my arm if you need to."

"And if I don't need to?"

His eyes widened slightly before his lips broke into a grin. "Still feel free."

"I think I will," she said, returning the smile and linking her arm through his.

The two of them fell into an easy rhythm as they stroked around the ice with the other couples. Even in broken-down rental skates, Celestino's edges were still divine, earning admiring glances from some of the people around them. Minako tried not to be self-conscious about her own rough edges, out of practice after so many months away from the ice.

"I can't believe I'm skating with an Olympic bronze medalist," she said, resisting the urge to pinch herself. "You know, I saw you."

"On TV?"

She shook her head. "No, I was there, in Nagano," she revealed. "I lucked into getting tickets for all the skating events. You and Lucia were wonderful dancing to _Swan Lake_ – truly ballet on ice. It's a shame you didn't win the gold."

"I appreciate the sentiment, but Nathalie Dion and Alain Leroy were unbeatable, two of the best ice dancers of all time, on the level of Torvill and Dean," Celestino said good-naturedly, not even a trace of bitterness in his voice. "We never even had a chance at gold."

Minako recalled watching the gold medalists, too, and their legendary free dance to _Libertango_. "They _were_ good," she admitted, "with chemistry through the roof. I remember thinking they skated like they were really in love with each other."

"They were and still are. In fact, I actually coached their oldest son, Jean-Jacques, a while back."

"Is he an ice dancer, too?"

"He has the edges to be one, but, no, he does singles. Biggest jumps I've ever seen from an eleven-year-old. He's going to be a monster when he hits seniors, mark my words. I wouldn't be surprised if he wins gold in 2018, following in his parents' footsteps."

"Why don't you coach him anymore?" Jean-Jacques Leroy sounded like a coach's dream skater.

"JJ also had the biggest ego I've ever seen in an eleven-year-old," he said with a laugh, "not that I really blame him. He really was that good, but we just didn't work well together. I believe he debuts as a junior next season. It'll be interesting to see how he develops over the next few years."

The two continued to skate in circles around the rink, Celestino telling her more about his Olympic experiences – he'd also competed in 1992 and 1994 – and how he hoped that Yuuri would make the Japanese Olympic team in the upcoming 2014 Games in Sochi. After a while, though, Minako let go of her grip on his elbow, rubbing her arms in a futile attempt to keep warm.

"Cold?"

"You're not?" She suppressed a shudder, wrapping her leather jacket tightly around her body.

"I spend most of my day in an ice rink," Celestino reminded her with a shrug. "It doesn't bother me that much, but it does feel like the temperature's dropped quite a bit. Shall we stop?"

She didn't really want to stop, enjoying herself too much for the night to end so soon, but Minako could barely feel her nose anymore. "Maybe we should."

Around them, the crowd had thinned from when they first arrived, the other skaters apparently having the same idea. Minako and Celestino skated over to the exit, changing back into their shoes and returning the skates to the rental booth.

"Where are you staying?" he asked as they left the park, his gloved hand holding hers in a gesture her Japanese upbringing might have found bold if it didn't feel so natural. "I'll walk you back to your hotel."

It was a kind offer, but… "It's not really within walking distance. I tried to get a room in the official hotel, but they were already booked solid for Christmas Eve. It's a big date night in Japan."

"Ah, I see."

"I'll just hail a cab," she said, hesitating only for a second before lightly kissing his cheek. "Thank you for a wonderful night, Celestino. This was the best Christmas I've had in years. I wish it didn't have to end…"

"Maybe it doesn't…"

Turning around to face her, Celestino lifted her chin and brought his lips to hers in a kiss that started soft at first, but gradually grew in intensity as they wrapped their arms around each other. Minako soon forgot all about the bitter cold, the heat of his body pressing against hers chasing away the chill in her bones and igniting a pleasant warmth inside her core.

"Stay the night with me?" he asked, their foreheads pressed together as they caught their breaths.

Smiling, Minako nodded. "I thought you'd never ask."

* * *

The choice of where to spend the night was easy. The official hotel where Celestino and the other skaters and coaches were staying was much closer – not to mention, nicer – than the cheap inn where Minako had managed to find lodgings. Of course, there was a risk that Yuuri might see them together, but Celestino didn't think it likely, knowing from experience at previous competitions that Yuuri never left his hotel room so late at night. Still, they were careful to keep a respectable distance apart as they made their way up to Celestino's room, Minako creating a cover story in her head just in case they did happen to run into Yuuri.

It wasn't necessary. The coast was clear, the hallway deserted when they stepped off the elevator onto the fifth floor. Celestino quickly pulled out his keycard and unlocked the door to his suite, showing her inside.

The moment the door safely closed behind them, they resumed where they had left off near the park, their mouths crashing together as they stripped off each other's coats and scarves on the way to the queen-sized bed in the center of the room. Minako fell back onto the mattress, Celestino taking a moment to slip off his gloves before his hands made their way underneath her dress, pulling down her tights and panties in one go.

"Someone's certainly eager," she said as she raised her hips to assist him, laughing.

Not that she really blamed him. It had been almost a year since she had last been with a man, and her body was already flushed from arousal, longing to be touched by someone other than herself. As soon as Celestino tossed her undergarments aside, Minako sat back up, yanking her own gloves off with her teeth. She then got straight to work taking off his belt.

He chuckled. "Now who's the eager one?"

"Do you have a condom?" Minako asked, looking up at him as she reached for the zipper of his fly.

"Ah…no." He sighed, pushing back his bangs. "Sorry, I wasn't expecting… You wouldn't happen to have…?"

"Yeah. Just a minute."

Thankfully, Minako always made certain to keep a couple on hand for just such emergencies. She walked over to the chair near the door where she had thrown her purse and dug around until she found one of the foil packets.

When she turned back around, Celestino had taken her spot on the bed, unbuttoning the cuffs of his dress shirt. He had already undone his tie, the blue silk fabric hanging loose around his neck. Minako tossed the condom on the nightstand and straddled his lap, capturing his lips in another ardent kiss.

By unspoken agreement, they slowed their previous fervor, taking the time to explore each other's bodies over their clothes. Minako moaned into his mouth as Celestino's hands skimmed the back of her thighs, stopping to squeeze her firm buttocks through the fabric of her dress before continuing to roam upwards.

"It's been a while since I've last done this," he admitted as he pulled the tab of her zipper down the length of her back. "I'm afraid I'm out of practice."

"Believe me, it doesn't show," she assured him.

She pulled down the long sleeves of her dress, releasing her arms and revealing her bare breasts. Her chest was small enough that she rarely felt the need to wear a bra, but if Celestino was disappointed by her lack of curves, he didn't show it at all, his breath hitching at the back of his throat.

"_Bella_ Minako," he murmured, kissing her neck. She shivered at the touch. "_Sei bella come una dea. Voglio adorare il tuo corpo finché non vedi il paradiso_."

Though the Italian she had picked up from her year in Rome was rusty, Minako recalled enough for his words to bring a smile to her face.

Reaching for his hands, she brought them up to her chest. A gasp escaped her lips as his thumbs brushed against her erect nipples, but Minako froze when something golden caught her eye.

On the ring finger of his left hand was a simple gold band.

She immediately pushed his hands away, shoving her arms back in the sleeves of her dress. "You're married?"

"What?" Celestino looked down at the ring on his hand as if he had suddenly remembered it was there. "Oh. No. I-I mean, yes, but –"

She couldn't believe he hadn't told her he had a wife! A part of it was her fault, she supposed, for not noticing the wedding ring earlier, but other than during Yuuri's celebratory dinner, he had worn gloves for most of the evening, hiding it from view.

"I have to go," she said, climbing off his lap and smoothing down the skirt of her dress.

She had a strict rule not to sleep with married men. Minako had done that once before, in Paris, when she was young and naïve to the ways of the world, living in a culture so different from the one she had grown up in. She had let herself be seduced by an older, wealthy man who swept her off her feet with expensive jewelry and dreams of romance, only to be treated like his dirty little secret whenever his jet-setting wife was in town. The fallout when his wife discovered the affair had nearly ended her ballet career before it even had a chance to start, the wife having significant influence in the world of dance.

That bad experience was part of the reason she now preferred sleeping with younger guys. Men in their twenties tended to be unattached, more interested in sowing their wild oats and having a good time than looking for commitment, which suited her just fine.

Celestino grabbed her wrist, keeping her in place. "Wait, Minako, I can explain."

"What is there to explain?" she asked, spinning back around when he let go of his hold on her arm. "Are you married, or are you not?"

"Legally, yes, I'm still married, but –"

Minako threw her arms up, having heard enough. "I'm out of here. Thanks for dinner." She zipped up the back of her dress and started gathering the rest of her things.

"Minako, will you please just let me finish?" Coming up behind her, Celestino placed his hands on her upper arms. "If you still want to leave after that, I won't stop you."

She sighed, pivoting back to face him and crossing her arms over her chest. "Fine. What's the story?"

Inattentive wife? The spark gone from the relationship? Mid-life crisis? She had heard it all before.

"I am legally married," he said again, "but we've been separated for over a year. We're getting a divorce. At this point, it's only a formality. We haven't lived as husband and wife for a very long time, even before the separation."

"Oh." Some of her anger ebbed, although Minako still thought he should have at least mentioned it before bringing her up to his hotel room. "Then why do you still wear your ring?" she asked. "Are you still in love with her?"

"I will always care for Stefania. She's the mother of my child, but…no, I'm not in love with her anymore." He waved his hand. "The ring… It's a force of habit. I forget I'm even wearing it most of the time. If it bothers you, though, I will take it off."

"No, you don't –" She again looked at the ring. "Actually, maybe it would be better if you did."

Celestino hesitated only for a second before sliding the gold band off his finger and placing it on top of the nightstand, next to the unwrapped condom. "Better?"

She walked over and opened the drawer, tossing the ring inside before closing it again.

"Better."

He smiled. "Good." He led her back to the bed, sitting down on the edge of the mattress and pulling her in between his spread legs. "I would have hated to see you leave."

"I still might," she warned him, throwing her jacket back on the floor, "if you don't take that shirt off in the next sixty seconds."

Chuckling, Celestino began unbuttoning his shirt. "I believe that can be arranged."

* * *

Minako's eyes fluttered open, a sliver of morning sunshine falling across her face from the small gap in between the curtains.

It took her a moment to remember where she was, surprised to find herself naked under the sheets, sleeping in someone's muscular arms, but she smiled when she propped herself up on her elbow, staring down at her bedmate's still slumbering face. His unbound hair flowed loose over his pillow, matching the dark curls that covered his chest. Though Minako tended to prefer guys with smoother skin, she couldn't deny that there was a certain masculine appeal to Celestino's more natural look.

Sitting further up, she hid a smirk behind her hand as memories of the night before played inside her head. He may have been pushing forty, but Celestino had the stamina of a man almost half his age, with the experience to know what to do with it. She had almost forgotten what it was like to be with someone who actually paid attention to her needs instead of only concerning himself with his own.

It was a shame they lived in different countries. Relationships weren't generally her thing, but if circumstances had been different, she wouldn't have minded seeing him again. Then again, that might have put Celestino in an awkward position, considering that he was Yuuri's coach.

Thinking of Yuuri across the hall, Minako pushed the sheets aside and quietly slipped out of bed, careful not to disturb Celestino from his sleep. According to the alarm clock on the nightstand, it was only a little after six, but it was probably best to head back to her own hotel as soon as possible if she didn't want to risk Yuuri catching her leaving his coach's room. She gathered her clothes from off the floor and got dressed, pulling her unwashed hair into a messy bun on top of her head.

_I should probably leave a note,_ she thought. She searched around the room for a piece of paper, finding a pad of the hotel's stationary and a pen next to the coffee maker. Minako wrote a short good-bye note, thanking Celestino for the wonderful night, and placed it on the nightstand where he was certain to see it, pulling out his wedding band as well and setting it on top so he wouldn't forget it. Even if his marriage was over, she imagined it still held some sentimental value to him.

Though she tried her best to keep the noise she made to a minimum, Celestino stirred awake while she was closing the nightstand drawer. He rubbed at his eyes, rolling onto his side.

"Minako?"

"Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you," she said in a soft voice. "Go back to sleep. It's still early."

"No, I'm awake now." He ran a hand through his wild curls as he sat up, the blankets shifting low on his hips as he did so. "Leaving so soon?" he asked, taking in her appearance.

"Yeah. I thought I should sneak out while everyone was still asleep."

"Yuuri probably won't be up for a while," he said. "He's a notoriously late sleeper. Phichit's always complaining about it." He reached for her hands, pulling her back into bed. "At least stay for breakfast. I'll order room service."

"Mmm, don't tempt me," she moaned, closing her eyes as his lips made their way up her neck. Maybe she could spare thirty more minutes… "No, I really should get going," she said regretfully, pulling away. "Even if Yuuri doesn't wake up, someone else could still see us and tell him. This hotel is full of skaters and coaches."

Celestino groaned as Minako climbed off the bed and put on her leather jacket. "I suppose you have a point..." He grabbed his own discarded pants from the floor and pulled them on, following her to the door. "Thank you for an incredible night, Minako," he said, "and I'm sorry I wasn't completely honest before. I assumed Yuuri had already told you about my impending divorce, but I should have told you myself."

"It's fine," Minako assured him, smiling as she tucked a strand of hair that had fallen out of her bun behind her ear. "I'm glad you managed to convince me to stay. I had a great time."

"I want to ask you for your number, but that would probably be…"

"Yeah, a bad idea. Long-distance relationships never work out, anyway."

"Of course." Bringing his hand to her cheek, Celestino sighed. "I wish we _had_ met in Roma all those many years ago. I would have definitely asked you out if I had."

"And I would have definitely said 'yes'."

But that was an impossible dream. Knowing that she wouldn't want to leave if she kissed him again, Minako settled for a chaste peck on the cheek.

"Merry Christmas, Celestino."

"_Buon Natale_, _bella_ Minako."

DISCLAIMER: "Yuri! On Ice" doesn't belong to me.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Yes, another rare pair… Are there any fans of this pairing out there? Heh, probably not, but I just couldn't get this idea out of my head when I saw Celestino/Minako on the nomination list for Rare Ships On Ice a while back and decided to writing it anyway, even though I wasn't matched up to anybody who asked for it. If you actually took a chance on reading this, thank you, and I hoped you enjoyed it! Merry Christmas and happy holidays!

I used Google Translate for the Italian. If anything's off, please let me know, but here's the translation of what Celestino was _meant_ to say.

_Bella_ Minako. _Sei bella come una dea. Voglio adorare il tuo corpo finché non vedi il paradiso. _– Beautiful Minako. You are as beautiful as a goddess. I want to worship your body until you see heaven.

_Buon Natale_, _bella_ Minako. – Merry Christmas, beautiful Minako.

Feel free to follow me on Tumbr. My username is kaleidodreams.


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